Quality awards

Some of Australia’s top beef producers will be recognised for their hard work, dedication and quality produce through the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) Excellence in Eating Quality Awards, to be held nationally throughout September and October.

The awards recognise producers who have achieved outstanding compliance rates to the MSA specifications, as well as high eating quality performance, as represented by MSA Index results for cattle MSA graded during 2015-16 and 2016-17 financial years.

Under the awards, a Most Outstanding Feedlot and Most Outstanding Non-Feedlot MSA producer will be crowned in each state.

One producer from each state will also win the inaugural MSA Excellence in Eating Quality Progress Award for showing the greatest improvement in their MSA results since the 2014-15 financial year.

The awards events, to be held in each state across the country, will also include a What Makes the Perfect MSA Index forum.

Producers are invited to come along and hear the latest developments in the MSA program and research, focused on areas that will help improve carcase compliance and eating quality performance including topics such as benchmarking, genetics and nutrition.

MSA program manager Sarah Strachan said this year’s forums and awards built on the inaugural events held in 2016.

‘‘We know how hard the majority of producers work to produce a quality product that meets the strict MSA criteria. These awards are about acknowledging that hard work,’’ Ms Strachan said.

‘‘There is also a strong desire amongst producers for the latest information on how they can improve and gain insights into the future direction of eating quality science,’’ she said.

The Awards and producer forums are free and open to everyone, but registration is essential.

■To find out more information about the awards and forums in each state and to register, please visit www.mla.com.au/eieq